I Promise
by Necronal
Summary: One-shot between Lilly and Hisao in the Shanghai. Read it!


_**Author's note: I just wanted to write a one-shot about my favorite pairing in the game. I enjoyed the Lilly storyline the most out of them all. Review and favorite if you liked this!**_

I stare at the textbooks in front of me, not absorbing a single bit of information. At this point, I'm just reading the words before me over and over. The page on the textbook hasn't changed for the past 15 minutes. I take another sip of french vanilla tea, glancing up at Lilly as I do so. She's engrossed in her braille book, smoothly running her fingers across the page in a cool fashion. I look around our surroundings, only now being reminded that we're in the Shanghai.

_'Dammit. We're supposed to be studying.'_ After the both of us got accepted into the same college, we'd both decided to use some of the holidays to get a head start on our studies. My mind is far too occupied, trying not to think about "it" by studying has only worked for about a week. I curse inwardly again, tenting my fingers as I try to address the issue within.

It was about a week ago that I had received the text message from my parents. " We've gotten a divorce.". What followed was a whole lot of bullshit from them, trying to justify their actions. I felt abandoned. Again. Outwardly, I tried to tell them it was alright, that I understood. However, I screamed and raged in my head, silently angry at them for doing this during such a bad period. I tried facing the issue before, but it was always easier to simply place the matter at the back of my head. _'If I don't think about it, I won't be affected.'_ was my point of view.

"Hey Lilly?" My voice comes out a little softer than intended, ending up a whisper.

"Hm?" She looks towards the sound of my voice, her sharp hearing picking out the whisper with little difficulty

"I-We are going to try our best to be together as long as we can right?" I hesitate for a moment, trying to phrase the words as casually as I can.

"Of course. Why the sudden question? Is something wrong?" Her expression is one of concern now.

"No, no, no. There's nothing wrong with us... It's just that..." I trail off, not knowing how to continue.

She bends forward, fingers lightly searching out my face before softly caressing my cheek. "Hisao... Your problems are mine too you know? You remember the day I said that your burdens would no longer need to be your own right?" She gives me a reassuring smile. "This is what love means."

Normally I would melt in her touch but today my mind is racing. "M-My parents... They're getting divorced." I force out the last few words. Even as Lily registers this, her calm composure is kept. Her hand retreats slowly and heavy silence hangs as she looks deep in thought. I take the time to think as well, finally trying to face the problem instead of running away. I feel that Lily's presence alone is already making this easier.

That does not mean to say this is easy. In any sense of the word. Now in hindsight, neither of my parents have been close for years, their busy work schedule making it impossible to spend time together. Outside of my knowledge, they must have been drifting apart for a long time.

This revelation is depressing. What's worst in now the impossible choice I have to make between either parent.

As if reading my thoughts Lily softly asks " Whom are you choosing?"

"I don't know." I reply. My time at Yamaku has made me much more independent. I look down at my teacup. If I had a place to stay, a third option, I would take it without hesitation. I voice this out, causing Lily's cloudy blue eyes to widen a bit. "It might sound crazy, giving up both of them instead of just one. I just can't deal with either of them now, this is an impossible choice. Because of that, I'd rather not make the choice at all."

Suddenly, I feel soft delicate arms wrap around me. Lilly must have made her way beside me while I was staring into my now-cold tea. She makes up for the lack of words with the hug, reassuring and comforting me all at once by pressing against me. Silence hangs once more before Lilly speaks again.

"You're afraid this will happen to us?" Her expression is pensive when I look over my shoulder.

"I-Yeah." I admit, feeling tears start to well up in my eyes. "If my parents, -the two people I've known to always love each other- can get separated like this, I'm worried about our future. I-" She cuts me off by pressing her lips against mine, the sudden kiss enough to make me forget about my troubles. Even if it's just for an instant.

We break off far too soon for my liking, Lilly's face is slightly flushed from the contact. It might just be my imagination but for the first time, her normally cloudy blue eyes seem to focus, staring straight into my own. She withdraws her arms, putting both hands on my face instead.

"Hisao, I don't ever want to lose you. That will not happen to us." Her normal calm composure is broken, genuine emotion in painted on her face. "You love me right?"

"Of course." I reply instantly without need for thought.

"Then what matters is that we try. I will always want you as a part of my life, no matter what changes. I love you Hisao."

It's only when her thumb wipes away a tear from my cheek that I realize I've been crying. I clutch her pale form, all pretense of control gone. I start to sob into her shoulder and a part of me thinks about how reversed this situation is from the time in the wheat fields. This time, it's Lilly who hold my shaking frame tightly.

Dammit, once again I'm the burden that she has to shoulder. I think back to when I promised myself to take care of her, but once again she's my pillar of strength.

"Please. Please don't ever leave."

"I won't. I promise."


End file.
